German holidaymakers the most likely to sunbathe nude, a poll has claimed,
while the French are most supportive of Speedos.

A new survey has revealed how nationality has a strong bearing on beach habits and corresponding attire – or rather lack of it.

The annual report by Expedia, the holiday booking website, exposes the German population as the most likely to go au naturel, with nearly a fifth (17 per cent) confessing to going nude on the beach on at least once occasion. That figure compares to the global average of seven per cent.

The Danes showed a similar level of confidence, according to the study, with 40 per cent of the country's women happy to sunbathe topless, and the same number stating they are happy to see images of themselves in swimwear on social media sites.

Least likely to sunbathe topless were ladies from Japan and Malaysia.

The French were found to be the nation most likely to approve of men wearing Speedos. More than 90 per cent of the country’s beachgoers stated that the trim trunks are acceptable beach attire. The nationality most likely to actually wear the garment, however, were Brazilians - 22 per cent said they regularly don a pair.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Britain emerged as one of the most self-conscious nations, with more than 20 per cent engaging in pre-holiday dieting and a quarter taking part in some form of fitness regime in preparation for stripping down on the sand. It also found that almost half of all British holidaymakers buy a new beach outfit, 18 per cent get waxed, and 14 per cent head to a tanning salon before embarking on a summer holiday.

Indian beachgoers were found to be the most likely to spend their time building sandcastles, while Singaporean travellers were the most likely to be scared of sharks.

The figures were published this week in Expedia's Flip Flop Report, following a survey of 8,600 adults around the world.